Resilient wheel



' Aug. 2s, 1923.

L. J. NEWMAN RESILIENT WHEEL Filed July 16. 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet .2

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L. J. NEWMAN RESILIENT WHEEL ,'5 She'ets-Sheet 5 Filed July 16. 1919 ATTORNEY *l ning conditions on the road.4

Patented 2553, 1923.

an stars H v i Y nEsiLIENr WHEEL; i

Application sied 'nity ie, 191e. seriai No.l 311,309.

-To @ZZ whom t mag/ concern 3 Y Be it known that I, Louis J. NEWMAN, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of, New Rochelle, lifestchester County, and-State of vNew York, have iiiveiited certaiiinew and useful Improvements in Resilient W'hcels, of which the following vis aspeciiication. Y i f vThis invention relates to resilient wheels Y '.'connections- .I

which an inner axle contacting unit is connected to-an outer tread unit by means "which yieldablyresist a departure of these ,inni-ts from concentric relation to each other. Tlieobject of the present invention is to provide aniinproved construction for Wheels of lthis character for securing a better distribu- {tion of stresses and a more efficient absorption of shocks and jars under practical run- As exemplified in the drawings, these Wheel units are preferably connected by link and levers whichV are normally.underjsufiicient pressure or tension to retain said vunits in concentric relation under. normal load conditions, such l pressure or tension `howeverpermitting a departure from concentric relation under any abnormal conditions of load such as those produced by any irregularities of the' road.4 Another object is to provide an iniproved link and lever system for suspending the 'axle contacting unit Within the tread unit by' means of resilient units in such a Way that every movement of said units out of concentric relation to eachother will be counteracted by the majority of the levers :and links in said system under the actionoi" 'said resilientunits. 'Other and further ob- 'ects will a Dear inthe specification and be `l Pi Y pointed out in the appended claims, refer- {ence being had to the accompanying drawings vvwhich exemplify my' invention and in `which: Y ,Y y; Y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of' a Wheel constructed inVv accordance with theprinciples of the' present invention parts being broken awayl and parts shown 1n section.

Figure. 2 is iofFigurel. -k Y n Figure .r3-is a-sectionlon the line III-III of Figure 1. i

Figure a is a sectionron the line 'IV-1V ofi-Figure l. v j .Figurei is a plan .view of one of the reverse levers detached. r I

Figure 6 isla side-elevation of the same.

' Figure f7 `ist diagram' Showing relative form cross l form branches 9 Which are the y center of they wheel vrin a cylinder launder the action a section on the line II-II In the embodiment of 'my invention shown yin Figures lto v6.of the drawings an axle contacting unit is constructed to embody a hub portion' l, radial spokes 2, and axially spacedrings 3. The outer ends of each of said spokes 2 are preferably bifurcated to form bearings 4 for a pin 5 upon Which is j ournalledthe hub portion 6 of one of aplurality of double ended levers.- Asshovvn in Figures 5 and 6,l eachv of said. leverscomprises the vhub portion 6, an arm 7 of unisection throughout andan arm 8 which lis bifurcated at its outer,` end .to

adaptedto straddle the arm 7.*.of the adjacent lever of the system, According to this embodiment of inyiiivention the arms 7 and 8 of each of these levers are `deflected inwardly toward from aV tangent through the aXifs of pivot pin 5. As shown lin Figure V1,' the arm 7 and the branches of arin 8 overreach each other andV have acornnion bearing on a roller 10 journalled on a pin`11 in the outer end of a rod 12. In orderto provide suitable and efficient means opposedforces operating on a single lever,

nay-.invention contemplates 'in the present embodiment, a piston l13 which reciprocates ablepressure medium suchfor example as the spring 15 or fluid contained in cylinder 14 or-both of these mediums. The cylinder details as Well as the character of the prestlie piston there.-

sure mediumvfor operating in exemplifyA suitable resilient means for counteracting radial movements of the rods 12. .Asshovvn bestin Figure @,fthe arm 8 of each of said levers is provided with an apertured boss 16 which as shown .in FigureL 2 carries ,a pin 117 to which are pivotally connectedthe innerl ends' of link meinbers 18. The outer ends of said link meinbers 18 are pivotally connected to pins of any suitfor yieldab-lyholding lsaid levers 'against disrdescription,

whichV are mounted `on the f inner periphery of a treadv unit comprising a. rim. 20 and tire 21. By an inspection of Figure l,

which serve to suspend the aXle contacting unit within the tread unit, comprises a circular series of double ended levers with over-reaching arms extending substantially;

continuously around theouter periphery of :the laxle .contacting unit, (and in thepreerred embodiment,hereinshown) betweenv :the axially spaced vrings drawings, each link-18 connects the bifur-` 3. 'As shown on the cated arm 8 of one of said levers tothe tread unit.r lt will be understood from this that each of thepi'ns' 17 constiulcrum lor-'one of the lef tutes a floating l Jverswhileithe resiliently mounted rollers 10 tends to maintain the loaded axle contact- -ing unit concentric with thertread unit. In `each 4instance Vlthe '.thevpoints of operating on one or the other armoipfsaidY lever. constitutes a yielding force l.vhich pin constitutes `one oic Y suspension of the axle contactingunit. "In this connection. itis tobe noted thatv at all times most oi the resilient lthe axle contacting'- unit.

'of 'this-cylinderfis provi'ded witlr 4slots 30 each cylinders.

Vunits in the wheel arebrought into play lfor counteracting f the@ tendency oi the units :to depart from yconcentric relationA and 30.

`wheel vthe combined effect of 'all-of these resilient unitsacting throi'igh the'llever' system* to --maintain anormallyyloaded axle contactingv Vunit inl concentric relation to the lt will be seen* from an inspection of' ure l that intheir voutermost* positions, the

tread unit.

Fig-

Apistons 13 are held underinitialpressure by means of the outer endsoit cylindersfli.

Such initial'pressure'or-tension may obvi-v ously be made of any desired intensity to adapt the mechanism to retain the wheel units in approximate*concentric relationun- 'der any idesired'conditions 'of normal 'running load. It will be obvious' that the vinvention as'disclosed hereinis applicable to a wheel in which the unitsare capable of relative lateral'tilting movements withrespect to each other such as wouldv be 'the case if the links 18 were provided with balland socket joint, connectionswith both of saidunits.

Such a construction is shown in-Figure 10.

ln'the embodiment ofmyfinvention shown in "Figures 8 -and-9, lthe tread unit 22 is lconnectedto thelperipheral portion 23 of vthefairle contacting unit? by Ameans of links 24 and a. circularseries of lever larms`25 which jarepivotedeat`26 totlie axle contacting unit. `According. tothe `prei-*erred embodiment of my invention shownLin Figures 8 and 9, in resilient unit'therevare three telescopic lAn intermediate cylinderv 27 is `pivotally Vconnected-fat 2S/to V'the hub 29 `of 'The lateral' wall which serveas lguides for'pins 3l Vcarried b-y `"the linnerinosteylinden32fwhich` is Vadapted it will be seen that thesystem oflinksA and levers arm 25. 1 contracted at 42 to slidably Vengage the outer cording' to A 1 ingror moving over a vsmo-oth;surface. V The Y to have its bottom abut'rv against'V y'the bottoni .wallr of the cylinder 27.V "Slidably rmounted in the cap 33 of the innermost cylinder 32,

vis a piston rod 34 which carries a piston 35,

piston being Yconfined between the cap v33 and the bottom Wall Volf cylinder 27. A refv said silient medium in the form of a compression spring'BG is interposed between thepiston 35 and the bottom wall of said cylinder4 32, and tends to holdsaid' ypiston 'inthe lposition shown in Figure 8m The intermediate cylthe outerniost'cylindert() which ispivotally connected'at-4l'to--the outer end of lever The inner end of l,cylinderi'4O^ is wall of intermediate cylinder without interfering with themovements of'lpins 31 along the slots 30. YAsY shownin Figure 10,

the tread unit 43 yof the wheel may-*be provided with a socket 44`for receiving a --ball 45 on one end'of af link 46, fthe-other-1end of said link being alsolprovided with aballf.

47 which operates in ai socket 48 carried by,V

the lever arm 49. VThis construction permits relative lateralv vtilting 'of' the vwheelunits with respect to veach other."V Y V'Vhile Figure l() shows .somewhat similarly to 'lever arm l25'; shown Y Figuref85.obviously lthe lever 49inay have4 either one or two arms; "depending upon: the type of wheel to wlii-ohthelink'is applied. v From the above 'clescriptioi'i,'the -1 advantagesto be :derived from ymy invention,- will be readily understood froni its ope-ration.

thefuniversal rvlink 46 applied to aflever` having anf'arin tshaped' icc As shown in Figure 1, the wheel Vunits are :in .concentric relation tofeacli other -under Yno'riiial conditions of loadfsuchras willbe the case with a truokjorvl car constructediacs this invention, when Vit isstandiio tension in spring 15er other pressure inediuni hasbeen predetermined' so 'that' it -will be more than suiTc-ient tof support the load under theV above'vr referred to conditions f wi'th the wheel units concentric.' Referring now to the diagram shownin Figure-7;- it will Y be seen that when the a-Xleunitdropsrinto an eccentric position.V with'A respect :to the tread unit, that the movement"isresisted'by five out ofthesix resilientl units."'{lt will be understood in this connection.' tlliatieach ot the five units is exerting a resilient-tend# encyV equal @to the initial-tension -oftlielnnit including the excess pressureagainst-'the cap' ot the cylinder -underlnormalconcentric conditions. Substantially' the saine" action occurs in resisting any-relative infovemefnts'l between the \-.ifheel'f-i'inits due to torsional effects, so that this wheel may be readily adapted for driving vehicles on which it is mounted. In the embodiment shown in Fig'- ures 8 and 9, whenever there is a downward eccentric movement of the axle unit with respect to the tread unit, the movement is absorbed by the resilient units in the manner indicated in Figure 9, according to which the intermediate cylinder by moving with the axle unit, causes cap 37 to depress the piston rod 34 which forces piston 35 downwardly under action of the spring 36. Varions modifications in the construction and arrangement ont the several elements with respect to the axle and tread units may be embodied without departing from the spirit of my invention which contemplates the simultaneous cooperative action of an entire group of resilient units which tend to retain said units in concentric relation. F or example, it is obvious that the resilient units may be mounted on the tread unit just as well as on the axle contacting unit, in which event the levers and links would be arranged in reverse order from that shown on the drawings.

I claim l. The combination in a vehicle wheel of a .rigid circular outer member connected through a. system of links, levers and pivots to a symmetrically shaped rigid inner member, a set of resilient elements interposed between the outer and inner members through the system ot' links, levers and pivots, the whole arrangedy in such a manner that the weight applied through the hub is supported in suspension by the upper half of the outer member through the system of links, levers and pivots acting againstthe sustaining torce of the resilient elements as well as carried directly by the lower half ot'. the outer member through the system of links, levers, and pivots acting against the sustaining force of the resilient elements, the majority of the resilient elements being in etl'ective action in every position of the wheel to sustain the load.

' 2. In a resilient wheel, an axle contacting unit, a tread unit, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted on one of said units, angularly spaced resilient units, each of said resilient units being arranged to oppose the adjacent ends of two different levers, and

means for articulately connecting said 1evers to the other of said units.

`3. In a resilient wheel, aV tread unit, an axle contacting unit, a plurality of levers p-ivotally mounted on said axle contacting unit, resilient means mounted on said axle contacting unit for operatably engaging either end of each of said levers, and a floating fulcrum suspended from said tread unit tor each of said levers. v

1i. In a resilient wheel, a tread unit, an axle contacting unit provided with a plurality ot angularly spaced resilient units, a plurality ot' levers pivotally mounted on said axle contacting unit and each comprising oppositely projecting arms arranged to bear on different resilient units, and links pivotally connected to said tread unitV and providing floating fulorums for the levers connected thereto.

5. In a resilient wheel, a tread unit, an axle contacting unit provided withk a plurality of angularly spaced resilient units, a plurality of levers p-ivotally mounted on said axle contacting unit and each compris# ing oppositely projecting arms adapted to bear on dilferent resilient units, and links pivotally connecting said tread unit, to said levers, the oppo-sitely presented arms of adj acently disposed levers being arranged to|` overreach each other and to engage the same resilient means.

6. In a resilient wheel, a tread unit, an axle contacting unit provided with a. plu-A rality of angularly spaced resilient units, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted on said axle contacting unit and mea-ns for connecting each of said tread units to said levers. with a universal movement.

7. In a vehicle wheel, the combination with a tread unit, of an axle contacting unit, one of said units being provided with a pluralityot angularly spaced resilient units,

and a system of links, levers and pivots for connecting said tread and axle contacting units: and operating on said resilient units, the majority of said resilient units being ineffective action for opposing relative displacement between said units 1n every position ofthe wheel.

LOUIS J. NEWMAN. 

